Windquest Series vinyl products are available with optional energy-efficient low-E glass with argon gas and come in white or beige. www.kolbe-kolbe.com

COMPOUNDS
Polymer Chemie Offers New PVC Compounds
Polymer Chemie GmbH has introduced its newly developed glass fiber-reinforced PVC compounds as well as compounds with improved general properties in Düsseldorf. In addition, the company offers long glass fiber-reinforced compounds with PVC as the matrix material. 

The company says these compounds offer manifold advantages for applications in a great diversity of industries. For example, the newly developed long glass fiber-reinforced PVC compound has strands of pellet length and can be used for the production of window frame reinforcing sections capable of replacing parts manufactured in metal. Besides the weight-saving advantage, the company says these reinforcing sections improve thermal insulation and open up new design possibilities. www.polymer-chemie.de

COMPOSITES
Therma-Tru^® Offers Patio Door System
Maumee, Ohio-based Therma-Tru has introduced the new Tru-Defense™ System for entry and patio doors. Therma-Tru’s Tru-Defense entry and patio doors have an air, water and structural performance rating of DP-40 or higher, according to the company. The complete door systems are independently tested and certified by the National Accreditation and Management Institute. The system includes a door bottom sweep with dual bulbs and dual fins to prevent air and water infiltration, a rain deflector to repel water from its sealing components, corner seal pads designed to create a pocket to resist air and water infiltration and multipoint locks.

The Tru-Defense fiberglass entry doors feature composite dam sills, while the fiberglass hinged and sliding patio doors feature composite frames, which the company says are durable and rot-resistant. www.thermatru.com 

ADHESIVES AND SEALANTS 
National Adhesives Unveils New Bondmaster^®
National Adhesives in Bridge-water, N.J., has introduced Bondmaster^® 40-453A, a new adhesive for insulating applications that can bond various facings to lightweight fiberglass for making rolled goods.

Bondmaster 40-453A is a formulated copolymer emulsion adhesive used for bonding foil/scrim/kraft and other facings to fiberglass insulation. It has been formulated to offer a high level of wet tack and good mileage. Its high-tack properties reduce the slippage of poly or foil facings when bonded to fiberglass. A 54-percent-solids adhesive with a viscosity of 800 cps, Bondmaster 40-453A can be roll-coated, extruded or air-sprayed. A UL rating will be registered with the product soon, according to the company. www.nationalstarch.com

Frank Lowe Releases Series GLZ 3500 and GLZ 5500 Glazing Tapes
Frank Lowe Rubber & Gasket Co. Inc. in Farmingdale, N.Y., has introduced its cross-linked polyethylene glazing tape with a double-coated acrylic adhesive, which it says is new and improved. The Series GLZ 3500 is available in 1⁄16- and 1⁄8-inch thicknesses and Series GLZ 5500 is 1⁄32-inch thick. Both series incorporate the company’s new adhesive system, which provides greater initial tack than earlier products along with an improved release liner for easy application.

The company also says the tape, which is AAMA-approved, has bonding capabilities with wood, aluminum, stainless steel and PVC window frames. It is designed to block water, moisture, light and dust and has excellent resistance to ultraviolet rays, weathering, oxidation and temperature variation and is supplied with a non-tear blue film liner.

In addition to adding the new tape to its line, Frank Lowe was appointed recently as the St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M Company’s sole custom converter of its new window tape. www.franklowe.com

Polysulfide Comes to America
H.B. Fuller Window in St. Paul, Minn., is offering two-component Polysulfide (PS-998R) and Polyisobutylene (PIB-969) in North America. Both products come to H.B. Fuller through its acquisition of the insulating glass sealants business from Henkel Corp. in Germany. 

PS-998R and PIB-969 have been used for many years in Europe where many insulating glass suppliers have favored the combination of PS-998R (for the outer seal) and PIB-969 (for the inner seal), according to the company. This dual-seal combination provides an elastic seal of the edge seal system as a whole and reduces the penetration of gases and water vapor, according to the company. www.hbfuller.com 

COATINGS
PERMALAC Seals the Deal
PERMALAC Spray Lacquer from Peacock Laboratories in Philadelphia is an air-dry, clear-coat lacquer engineered for outdoor applications. The primary use for the product is on metal substrates such as steel, aluminum, copper, silver and bronze. It provides highly durable, long-lasting exterior protection, according to the company. Ultraviolet and corrosion inhibitors make it an attractive use for the door and window manufacturing industry.

A finish coating of the lacquer assures endurance in conditions ranging from arctic cold to desert heat, to beachfront salt air and blowing sand, according to the company. www.permalac.com

FLASHING
Premier Industrial Supply Introduces New Flashing Line
Phoenix-based Premier Industrial Supply Inc. has introduced its new XtraFlash Series of products featuring its modified butyl-based membrane and sealants for the installation of doors and windows. Complemented by its butyl-based self-sealing core, the XtraFlash modified butyl-based membrane’s top face is manufactured from an ultraviolet-resistant heavy-duty woven fabric to resist tearing. The XtraFlash series also utilizes a mold- and mildew-resistant release-liner (on the flashing’s under-face) to and can be applied in both a nail-on and/or stick-on installation.

XtraFlash has a three-tiered design and works in temperatures from -30 degrees Fahrenheit to 230 degrees Fahrenheit.

The company says the XtraFlash modified butyl-based membrane also conforms to the AAMA Installation Standards.  www.xtrabond.com 

SOFTWARE
CNC Software Unveils Maintenance Release for Mastercam X2
Tolland, Conn.-based CNC Software has announced the release of Mastercam X2’s Maintenance Release (MR1). The company says this release introduces significant new capabilities, including improved tool paths for high-speed machining, multi-axis enhancements and much more. According to CNC Software, the high-speed machining pencil tool path has been enhanced to provide much smoother motion than the previous version with fewer retracts when used with rest material. 

Also, Mastercam can now calculate the appropriate number of offset passes needed, based on tool diameter. With the Maintenance Release, trochoidal motion in high-speed tool paths assists with the machining of harder materials, according to the company. Likewise, trochoidal motion maintains an acceptable tool load, allowing feeds and speeds programming to be reliable. In MR1, Mastercam offers the ability to control when and how the trochoidal motion occurs in a tool path. Mastercam’s 5-Axis Flowline tool path also has been enhanced to support undercuts. On complicated files where controlling the normal direction of the surfaces are cumbersome, Mastercam has an option that allows undercuts or makes it possible to ignore the surface normal direction, greatly simplifying the process, according to the company.

The Advanced Multi-axis tool paths also have been enhanced to support solid geometry. When a solid model is present, Mastercam provides the option to select solid geometry. www.mastercam.com 

DWM
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